Tales of the Halloween Babysitter
by LitLover 101
Summary: Continuation of Ch. 4, "Babysitting on Halloween?" from the Haylijah Halloween Series. Hayley returns to spend her Halloween nights with her favorite ghosts: The Mikaelsons. But some uninvited guests continue to drop by, some to their own chagrin.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The **__**Originals**_**. That would be the CW, Warner Brother, Julie Plec, and other shadowy figures lurking in corners. **

**Hello, my lovely readers. Welcome to the four-part tale of ghosts, love and, well, candy… On with the show…**

**Tales of the Halloween Babysitter: Part I**

Everyone has a Halloween tradition. Some people crave scary faces into a pumpkin to sit on their porch or on their dining room table. Others go to parties. While others stay at home and binge on treats in front of their favorite scary movies. Hayley Marshall had a slightly different take on the whole Halloween tradition. Hayley's tradition went as follows:

First, get up extra early on Halloween.

Second, go through her entire closet to find just the right look. The one that said she cared, but not that she spent all day perfecting it.

Third, collect the heaps of treats she'd collected over the weeks and load them into the back of her Mustang.

Fourth, light a candle to impress the spirits of All Hallow's Eve.

Fifth, grab her keys and phone and head on out to her favorite place to spend the holiday.

~0~

Standing in front of the Mikaelson's gate, Hayley felt none of the trepidation she'd felt the first time she arrived at the Mikaelson's. Excitement filled her belly as she looked up and into the windows. She could see movement up there and offered a wave of greeting before hitting the doorbell in need of a good cleaning.

"Hello?" Freya Mikaelson answered.

"It's Hayley," Hayley called back.

The gate buzzed and Hayley pulled it open, not thinking too much when it creaked closed behind her. She felt used to it and this was only her second year.

Esther Mikaelson came down the side-stairs of the compound. Her hair was worn up this year. She offered Hayley a smile which might ordinarily chill Hayley to the core, given that Hayley had seen the woman dead, but Hayley smiled back cheerfully. "Hayley, how good of you to come back. You know about the babysitters from before." With a deep sigh, Esther looked back to the house. "Mikael!" she called. "Hayley has arrived."

Mikael came down, straightening his jacket. He offered Hayley a severe look before he began his spiel. "You mustn't have male guests. You must make sure the children are in bed my 9:00 p.m. No more than one piece of candy, per child. Do you understand me, Ms. Marshall?" The ghost's blue eyes bore into Hayley who wondered what the worst thing he could do to her would be and then decided not to go there.

"Yes, sir," Hayley replied.

Mikael continued to stare at her. "If I remember correctly, Esther and I came home to find you with several uninvited guests, the children had consumed quite a few goodies and they were up far past their bedtime. This will NOT happen again. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mr. Mikaelson." Hayley put her head down and forced herself to look contrite. Hell, he wouldn't be arguing with her come sunrise anyway.

"Mikael, we will miss the festivities if you stand here all night berating the poor girl. It was her first time here. You must allow her time to adjust to our…lifestyle." Esther took hold of Mikael's arm. "Have a good night, Hayley, the fridge is full and your payment is on the dining room table. Have a good night, children!"

"Good night, Mother!" the children's voices called back as the Mikaelson parents left.

The sound of a giggle from Hayley's right alerted her to the presence of one of her young charges. "Kol?" she called out. A shape whizzed by and the giggles continued.

Hayley went to the stairs and entered the second floor. She went inside the first bedroom and walked around. "Hello?" she called, cupping her hand to her mouth. I have candy! The first one of you who appears, gets an extra piece!"

Placing her hands on her hips, Hayley peered into the dusty shadows of the room. She thought she heard movement in the closet but never got that far because someone had hold of her ankle. The arms had come from under the bed and Hayley fell down and found herself being dragged underneath by a group of arms.

"Did you say: Candy?" Rebekah whispered, crawling up Hayley and placing her chilly little hands on either side of Hayley's face.

"She did!" Klaus said, one of his hands holding onto Hayley's bare ankle. Now she shivered. "How did you get it past Mother and Father?" he asked, moving to lay beside Hayley's face, pressing his ten-year-old one closer to hers. "Is it magic?"

"No. Just my car," Hayley told him. "Kol, can you let go?" She looked down and Kol let out a giggle before he let go of her calf. "If you guys let me go downstairs; I can get the candy."

Kol looked thoughtful but Klaus shook his head and took hold of her upper arm. "You can't leave. The ghosts will get us, Hayley!" Klaus said, his eyes round. His serious expression made Hayley feel a lump in the pit of her stomach develop. They all looked like little kids, terrified of the Big Bad who meant them harm.

"Niklaus!" Finn called out. "Do you have my sword?" A pair of feet stopped by the bed. "Klaus?" And then Klaus was jerked from under the bed by his feet.

Klaus let out a series of screams in a pitch that hurt Hayley's arms. "Let me GOooooo!" Klaus screamed.

"Finn, we're going to be late!" Freya complained. "Please, let him go! I don't want to miss the party!" The sound of a pair of high heels clicked across the floor. "Niklaus, give Finn his sword."

"No! He doesn't need it! And he always goes as a stupid pirate! Why can't be dress up as something cool this year? Like a vampire!" Klaus cried unhappily.

"Just give the sword up," Freya's tone did not broker argument. "And what have you done with Hayley?"

"I'm down here!" Hayley called out.

Freya's face appeared. "Ah. There you are. Elijah's looking for you." Then Freya disappeared and her heels click-clacked away. "Elijah, she's being held hostage by Bekah and Kol."

Seconds later, Elijah's face appeared and he snatched Kol by the waist. The bed shifted above Hayley and then Elijah took hold of Bekah and the bed shifted, again. The third time that Elijah appeared, he held out a hand and Hayley took it, allowing him to help her out from under the dusty bed. "Hello," he greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, again," Hayley replied, trying not to blush.

"Give me the sword!" Finn demanded, breaking up the romance in the room.

"Klaus!" Freya cried, all out of patience.

Klaus looked at Hayley. "Tell them I need it, please, Hayley!"

"I can protect you guys," Hayley told him. "If you'll just let Finn have his sword."

"Fine." Klaus groaned and Elijah turned his brother right-side up. "It's in Father's study."

"You know you're not supposed to go in there," Freya chastised Klaus with a frown.

Klaus stuck his tongue out at her. "Kol's not supposed to eat the bugs that appear in the fountain every year."

"You eat bugs?" Rebekah made a gagging noise. "Ew! My brother is a bug-eater!"

"Better than being a blasted girl! Girls are rotten!" Kol sneered back.

"We're off!" Freya called. "Don't wait up." She and Finn left the room.

A cry from down the hall alerted Hayley to Henrick being up. "Coming!" she called. Elijah followed her down the hall.

Henrick's eyes were pooling with tears when Hayley came in and scooped him up. "Hi!" she cried. "Remember me?" she cooed to the three-year-old.

"Hayley!" Henrick cried, nuzzling his face into her top and hugged her neck tightly.

"I brought candy," Hayley told the little one.

"Suckers?" Henrick asked.

"Yup. And lots of chocolate!" Hayley added.

"Chocolate!" Rebekah cried, standing in the doorway of the nursery. "Nik, she's brought us chocolate, and lots of it!"

"I have to go outside to get it. Okay?" Hayley said. She watched the kids who looked somewhat unsure. As a group, they went downstairs and out by the gate.

"We can't go any farther," Elijah said, holding out his arms for Henrick.

Frowning, Hayley nodded. "Okay." She did not want to ask why. It might be something ugly and painful and she already knew that the night would end with something ugly and painful. "I'll be back in a minute."

Going outside, Hayley went to her car and opened the trunk. Pulling out the bags, she pushed the door closed with her elbow. On the sidewalk, she felt her phone begin to buzz in her pocket. "Shit," she groaned. Setting the bags down on the semi-damp concrete, Hayley withdrew her phone and saw her best friend, Cami O'Connell's, name on the screen.

Swiping the screen, Hayley answered. "Hi, Cami. What's up?"

"What do you mean: What's up?" Cami called with a laugh. "Thought you were coming out to help me with my babysitting duty for the night." It had been Cami's idea, last year, for them to get babysitting gigs on Halloween and that is how Hayley had found herself at the Mikaelsons' for the most enjoyable and frightening night of her young life.

"Huh?" Hayley picked up the bags and continued toward the gate.

"You said you were going to come over and help me with my cousin, Caroline." Cami paused. "Where are you?"

Hayley looked inside the gate at the eager faces that awaited her. "I've got another gig. I'm sorry I didn't call you." Honestly, Hayley did not want to tell Cami she was going back to the Mikaelson's, not after what they witnessed the year before. Cami was still having nightmares.

"You're there. Aren't you?" Nope. You could not get anything past the girl who planned on studying psychology in college. "Are you insane, Hales?"

"No." Hayley took hold of the heavy gate and eased it open so she could hand over the goodies. "They're lonely, Cam."

"Who's lonely?" Bekah asked, big eyes on Hayley.

"No one, honey," Hayley said, opening a bag and watching Bekah place chocolates inside the pockets of her princess costume.

"Hayley, you need to leave there, right now!" Cami cried out.

"Sorry. You're breaking up. Call you tomorrow!" Hayley eased her phone into her hand and ended the call.

"Everything alright?" Elijah asked, handing Henrick a lollipop. His eyes met Hayley's and she gave him a quick smile.

"Nothing I can't handle." Hayley strode toward the house and Elijah opened one of the doors so she could go into the kitchen and set the bags down. "What are you doing tonight?" she asked him. The kids had run off with their treats.

"You and me? Or you, me and our little charges?" Elijah inquired, easing closer to Hayley. His eyes went to her lips and Hayley thrust her body against his. She shivered at the first contact as his cool lips found hers. But as his hands slid under her shirt and up her back, Hayley found she did not mind the drop in temperature. Her mouth opened slightly and she let out a quiet moan as Elijah pressed her against the table and her hands locked behind his head.

"Ew!" Klaus cried.

Blinking, Hayley pulled back to find Klaus cocking his head to the side as he chewed on a Milky Way and shook his head at them. "You're gross! I never want to kiss a girl! Blech!" He turned and skidded back down the hallway. "Kol! Bekah! Elijah's kissing Hayley! Puke!"

"Ewwwww!" Kol and Bekah yelled. Then they began to giggle. "That's gross!"

"More?" Henrick came into the kitchen. His hand held out a lollipop stick, minus its treat at the end.

Turning around, Hayley dug out a sucker and held it out to the little boy. She ran a hand through his soft hair and picked him up while he sucked away. "Movie?" Hayley asked Elijah.

"Yes." Elijah followed her back to the Great Room.

"Will Davina and Marcel come to play, too?" Bekah asked, turning her head to look at Hayley with a beseeching gaze. "I miss them!"

"I…" Hayley had no idea how to respond to that when the door buzzer went off.

Elijah's brows rose. "Wonder who that could be?"

Hayley thought she knew who it might be. And she wished she did not. "I'll go get rid of them. Stay here!" she told the others.

"But it could be Marcel!" Rebekah cried, pushing herself to her feet.

"And Davina!" Kol said, getting up, too.

Henrick pushed himself to his feet and pulled his sucker out. "Want to play with them!"

Klaus got up with a fair amount of reluctance but stood beside his siblings.

Hayley looked at the children and then at Elijah. It looked like she would not be able to deal with the guest without their presence, too. "Fine," she sighed, trudging out of the room and toward the side door. Three little ghosts and one teen followed her footsteps out to the front gate. "Hi, Cami," Hayley called, moving to stand an inch from the closed gate.

"Can you come out here?" Cami asked, trying not to look at the ghosts to Hayley's left and right. Henrick pressed his nose into Hayley's leg and his little arms curled around her. She wondered if he was feeling protective or possessive.

"Not really." Hayley shook her head, a hand going to the top of Rebekah's head. She ran an absent hand through the girl's curly locks.

"Can they come in?" Klaus asked, he was eyeing the little blonde that Hayley guessed must be Cami's cousin.

The little girl smiled and waved a hand at Klaus. She was dressed up as Reese Witherspoon from one of the Legally Blonde films. "Hi!" she cried.

"Care, don't talk to them!" Cami snapped, grabbing her cousin and pressing the girl's back to Cami's legs.

"That hurts!" Caroline complained, squirming under Cami's grip. "Stop it! Or I'll tell Uncle Sean!" She raised her face to give Cami a lethal look. Oh, good. A little spit-fire and a house of ghosts. How pleasant. "I want to go inside!" Caroline broke away from Cami and went to press her face to the gate. "Let me in!"

"Think she's got that backwards," Will Kinney said, sideling up to the gate. "Evening, Hales. And have you lost your mind?" His eyes went over the Mikaelson property and he shoved his hands into the pants of his detective costume.

Cami adjusted her Little Bo Peep wig and glowered at Caroline. "If you don't behave Will and I will eat all the candy!"

"We have lots of candy," Klaus said. He went over to stand by the gate. "Let her in…please…" He offered Cami an innocent smile. "We won't let the ghosts hurt you."

"Nope. Not happening!" Cami tried to peel Caroline off the gate. Caroline refused to budge, pressing herself closer to the gate and Hayley worried the child would bruise herself. "Will, help me!" Cami said. She wrapped her fingers over Caroline's and tried to pry the child's hands off.

Klaus reached over and Cami let out a yelp when they connected. "It touched me!" she shrieked, falling back into Will, shaking.

"Oh, for god's sake, Cam!" Hayley groaned. She went over and opened the gate. Caroline hopped off and ran inside. "Ha!" she yelled, running toward the house.

"Caroline Forbes! Get your butt back here!" Cami shouted, running inside the courtyard. "Care!" she yelled as Klaus and Caroline ran up one of the side staircases and disappeared inside the house. Whirling on her heel, Cami let out a growl. "This is all your fault, Hayley!"

Will came inside and stood beside Hayley. "This isn't how the night was supposed to end." He trudged after his girlfriend and into the house.

Hayley rolled her eyes. She could already hear childish giggles from upstairs. "You can't find us!" a taunt rang out.

"Elijah…" Hayley looked to Elijah.

"We'll find them. I promise. And do not be frightened. Klaus will not allow anything to happen to Caroline," Elijah reassured Hayley who wished she could feel reassured.

"Kids, we're going inside and I'm going to put in a movie. Then Elijah and I are going to find Klaus." Hayley took hold of Henrick's hand. Leading all of the kids inside the house; Hayley turned on _Beetlejuice_. "Yay!" Kol and Bekah cried while Henrick sank onto his rear, sucking at the last of his lollipop.

Elijah led the way up the stairs. "Oh, what is that?" Cami could be heard saying. "It's on me, Will! Help!"

Hayley made run a for her friend and found Cami beating a spider web. "So gross!" Cami shouted, trying to get the sticky stuff off herself.

"Ha-ha!" Caroline cried from the end of the hall.

"This way!" Klaus called, appearing. He took hold of Caroline's hand and they ran off.

"Niklaus!" Elijah shouted. "Get back here this instant!" He hurried down the hallway and then let out a shout. This made Hayley even more worried. "Not the blasted frogs!" Elijah cried.

"Ha-ha!" Klaus's laughter made Hayley groan.

Will caught up to Hayley, along with Cami who was still picking web out of her wig. "I hate this house," Cami complained. "I'm so sorry I convinced you to come here! I think you have Stockholm Syndrome!"

"What's that?" Kol asked them and Cami let out a scream because Kol had walked through the wall to their left.

"Yeah." Rebekah added, popping out of the ceiling and landing on her feet before them.

"What is wrong with you?" Cami demanded, her eyes wide.

The doorbell rang and Cami screamed. Then a small hand grabbed hers and she screamed, again. "They won't hurt us," Caroline said. "Snickers?" She held up a mini bar to her cousin who puffed out a sigh.

"We're leaving, right now," Cami leaned down and picked up the eight-year-old.

"No! Nik!" Caroline reached for Klaus as Cami carried the girl back down the hall and down the stairs.

By the time they got to the gate, Cami looked like she might scream again when a Skeleton waved at them. "Hey!" Vincent called out. Two little goblins grinned and waved, too.

"Marcel. Davina!" Bekah ran to the gate. "Let them in! Let them in!"

"Let us out! Let us out!" Cami cried, holding onto a struggling Caroline.

Hayley opened the gate and Marcel and Davina dashed inside, embracing their friends. "Vince?" Hayley greeted Vincent.

"They made me come," Vincent said, walking inside the gate which slammed closed behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. "Guess they don't remember last year."

"I do!" Cami snapped. "And I don't want a repeat performance." She walked over to the gate and tried to open it with one hand. This gave Caroline an opportunity to free herself and slide to the ground. She ran over and Klaus wrapped his arms around her, giving Cami a menacing look. "You can't keep her, Klaus, she's human!" Cami warned Klaus.

"I can if she wants to stay with me!" Klaus snapped, glowering at Cami.

"Niklaus, she needs to grow up," Elijah said, kneeling to meet his brother's eyes.

Klaus looked at Caroline. "Just for tonight?"

"Tonight. Then she has to go home," Elijah said.

Cami groaned and leaned against the gate as the ghost children and the humans whooped with joy.

"Candy!" Henrick called out.

"Henrick, I think you might have had too much already," Hayley said.

"Candy!" Henrick screamed, his face turning scarlet.

"Right." Hayley took his hand and led him back inside the kitchen. Maybe Mikael would kill her for over-feeding the kids candy.

~0~

An hour after arriving, Cami had settled on a couch, Will's arms wrapped around her. Vince had slumped into an easy chair, eating popcorn. The kids were watching _Hocus_ _Pocus_. Hayley took Elijah's hand and eased him back into the kitchen.

"Where were we?" Hayley asked Elijah. Elijah let out a quiet chuckle and began to kiss her.

Feeling better than she had all year long, Hayley wondered what her future looked like. They could only be together, like this, once a year and it did not bode well for their life together. She could just die in here and possibly join the Mikaelsons as another ghost, but she doubted Elijah wanted that. And she wanted to live. There were so many things she wanted to see, and to do. But she hated she could not share these things with Elijah.

Pulling back, Hayley pressed her forehead to Elijah's chest. "How can you stand this life?" she asked him.

Pulling back, Elijah lifted her face with his fingers. "It troubles me. However, I have my siblings to care for. And, now, I have something to look forward to each year." He smiled down at her and Hayley felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Yeah?" She let out quiet laugh. "Me, too."

Elijah pressed soft kisses to her neck. "I am sorry that we can not grow together. We cannot have a family. I cannot leave these gates with you, tomorrow. But I am happy that we are together now."

Hayley nodded, running her hands over his chest. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen." Elijah looked down at her. "How old are you?"

"The same. Next year I'll be older than you," Hayley watched Elijah nod. His eyes were dark with something she could not name. His lips found hers, and his body crushed hers to the counter. She wondered if sex was an option.

When Elijah pulled back, he held her face between his hands. "I want you to promise me that you will set a timer tonight."

"Okay." Hayley nodded.

"Set it for midnight. Make sure you're gone before then. You, your friends and the children." Elijah watched her closely and Hayley nodded before Elijah began to kiss her again and she forgot her own name.

~0~

Sitting on one side of the couch, Hayley set her timer at five after eleven. The human kids were asleep, curled up on the floor with their ghostly counterparts. Cami had fallen asleep with Will. The popcorn bowl had slid between Vincent's feet.

"And she does it again!" Freya said, coming into the room and shaking her head. "Hayley, I thought you'd know better this time." She shook her head at Hayley before scooping Henrick into her arms. "Time for bed, little one."

Henrick mumbled things in his sleep as his sister carried him upstairs.

"How was the party this year?" Elijah asked Finn, stroking Hayley's hair.

"Better than last year. No one drowned in the apple bob," Finn told them with a smile. He left them alone.

"Are you sure I have to leave at midnight?" Hayley asked Elijah. Elijah nodded.

Freya came back down and sat on the arm of Vince's chair and glanced at him. "Where is this one's girlfriend? Boyfriend?"

"He's single," Hayley replied.

Freya smirked and kissed Vincent on the cheek. "Sweet dreams," she said. Getting up, she went to the stairs. "Will be seeing you, again, next year?"

Hayley looked at hopeful Elijah. "Yes."

"Good." Freya nodded. "Please, pick up the candy wrappers before my parents arrive."

Hayley got to her feet and collected the evidence of the children's candy-eating and then tossed the trash inside the bags she'd brought. The hour drew to an end as she cleaned. Elijah right by her side. They were both quiet and she enjoyed the feeling of him beside her.

At ten minutes 'til midnight, Hayley went back into the Great Room and kissed each of the little ghosts on their foreheads before she gathered up a sleeping Caroline and nudged Will with her foot. Cami let out a snort and blinked as she awoke. "What?"

"Time to go." Elijah told Cami who got up quickly.

Vincent was the last to wake. Will had Davina in his arms and Marcel yawned widely as Cami held his hand. "Time to go, man," Will said.

"Yeah?" Vincent smiled at them. "I was having the best dream about this witch and she…" He shook his head. "Man…"

Together, Hayley, her friends, their charges and Elijah went out to the gate. "I'll be back," Hayley promised.

"Until then," Elijah replied, closing the gate.

With a heavy heart, Hayley made herself walk away from the compound. But she could look forward to the next Halloween and the one after that and the one after that…

**Thank you reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my lovely readers. Everything is not light and fluffy in this chap. On with the show…**

**Tales of the Halloween Babysitter: Part II**

On Hayley's third year of visiting the Mikaelson's for Halloween, she decided to switch things up a bit. Nothing like variety, the spice of life. Speaking of spices, Hayley stopped by the local Starbucks for two trays of Pumpkin Spice Lattes. She made sure her car was loaded with treats for the whole family and then she was off.

Hayley hummed along to the music on the radio: the Addams Family theme song. A little smile played on her face as she stopped at her destination. She parked on the street and hoped she was not too early. Any kind of rules about when the ghosts would appear for human contact had yet to be established.

However, Hayley did know that the gate would not open during other parts of the year. In spite of Bekah's and Kol's invitations to "Come and play," the house seemed to be under invisible lock and key.

With a quick inhale of chilly October air—or as chilly as air in New Orleans got anymore—Hayley walked up to the front gate and hit the buzzer. It felt like a long, long, long time before someone answered. "Yes?" Esther's voice called, sounding a touch concerned.

"Mrs. Mikaelson, it's Hayley. I know I'm early, but I thought I could hang out with the kids before you head out." Hayley hoped the matriarch did not feel like her "long-term" babysitter was over-stepping. There was a long pause before the gate buzzed open.

Letting out a breath, Hayley headed inside, her hands stuffed in her pockets. "Hi," she said, feeling a little bit shocked when Elijah hurried down the side stairs.

"You're early." Elijah's expression was unreadable as he examined her. She wondered if he felt disappointed that she was aging while he remained the same. Hayley felt a prick of disappointment herself. Somehow she always hoped that she'd come here, and, by some unseen magic everyone would have begun to age at a regular pace.

Deciding to reply, Hayley said, as casually as she could, "I am. Early. I thought I'd stop by. Maybe you'd like company. Earlier." She offered a smile, feeling stupid.

Blinking, Elijah let out a laugh. "Of course. The children will be delighted to see you. Come with me." He took her hand and led her inside the home. There was the sound of quiet chatter coming from upstairs.

"Children, look who is here!" Elijah called.

Kol's head appeared as he crawled along the floor and then jumped to his feet. "Hayley! She's here!" He shouted. Climbing on the bannister, he literally came flying at Hayley and knocked her to the floor, looping his arms around her neck.

"Good to see you, too, Kol." Hayley cried, patting him on the back. "Let me up."

"Hay-ley!" Rebekah came running down the stairs. Klaus was right behind her. Henrick toddled behind them, a blanket held on one balled fist. He looked shyly down at them before waving to Hayley.

"You're early." Mikael appeared to Hayley's left, making her jump while Rebekah embraced her legs and Klaus buried his face in her stomach. "Why?" Mikael did not look nearly as happy as the children.

"She wants to help us with the children," Esther said. She was now at the top of the stairs. She scooped Henrick up and carried him downstairs. "We could use a break, after all of these years, don't you think, darling?"

Mikael looked less certain. "Is that not what Freya and Finn are for? Where are they? Freya? Finn! The babysitter is here!" he bellowed, scowling at the top of the stairs.

Freya came running to the top of the stairs. She tied the belt of a robe tightly around her waist. "Sorry, Father."

"What is that on your face?" Mikael snapped, frowning.

"Lipstick. Don't you like it?" Freya's fingers trembled as she touched her lips. All her usual swagger had left her.

Finn came to stand by his sister's side. "I just need my sword to complete the outfit," he told them proudly.

Mikael shook his head. "A pirate? Son, truly? You're a Viking. Be proud of your stock." He sent a look Esther's way. "You take after your mother. No respect for traditions."

Esther huffed before turning to Hayley. "Mikael and I have a soiree to attend, later tonight, but it would be so nice to relax for a few hours."

"Great." Hayley placed her hands on Klaus' shoulders. "I actually brought some surprises. If you don't mind my getting them." She hooked a finger over her shoulder. "They're in my car."

"Those death-traps." Mikael shook his head. "Why you need such a thing? A good horse is all you used to need."

"Right." Hayley nodded. "I brought you two gifts, too."

"Us?" Esther's brows went up. "Really?"

Hayley nodded, smiling. "Come with me." She had to struggle to walk because Rebekah refused to be pried from Hayley's legs until she got to the gate. "I promise, I will be right back," Hayley said.

Rebekah let go and moved to nuzzle her head into Freya's arms while Hayley left them. Pulling out the trays of still-warm coffee, Hayley picked up a couple of bags and managed to drag her load to the gate. Elijah and Finn each helped by taking her cargo off her hands.

"What is this?" Finn asked. He freed one of the coffees, sniffed at it and then shook his head. "Smells like Mother's cure for diseases."

Klaus leaned up and sniffed before he pinched his nose and stuck out his tongue.

"These are for you," Hayley plucked out a cup for Esther, Mikael, Freya, and Elijah. "If you don't want it, then I guess someone who likes it can have the extra."

"Me!" Kol volunteered, waving his hand. "I want it!"

"It's got coffee in it," Hayley told him and Kol looked confused. "It makes you do this." She began to shake and Kol giggled.

Esther took a long sip. "Very nice. What is this, Starbucks?"

"It's a coffee shop," Hayley told her.

"Really? Do they practice the craft as well?" Esther looked impressed as she sipped her drink.

Mikael took one sip and shoved it in Finn's face. Finn groaned and waved it away. "No, thank you!" Finn cried, setting the trays down and edging away from them.

"That's okay. There are other drinks we can make," Hayley reassured Finn.

"That do not smell like socks?" Finn asked warily as Freya took Mikael's cup and downed it. She licked her lips and seemed disappointed when Elijah continued to drink his.

"We shall stop at this Starbucks and ask for the spell for this concoction," Freya told Finn.

"No." Finn shook his head. "I would rather not."

Freya looked to her mother. Esther smiled. "I'm sure I could use the remnants inside the cup to devine the recipe." This cheered Freya up. "Now, what else have you brought us?" Esther asked Hayley.

Hayley grinned. "Costumes. Drink mixes. And I've got pumpkins with carving kits in the car."

"Truly?" Freya looked the most excited. "I never get to carve my own pumpkins. Can I, Father?" She looked hopeful and Mikael nodded his head.

Hayley felt thrilled to be sharing traditions passed down for some generations with this isolated family. She traded a look with Elijah who also looked excited by the change.

~0~

"Agh! I'm a pumpkin head!" Kol cried, placing his scary pumpkin head on over his own face and chased Rebekah around the dining room table.

"What do you want me to do with this stuff?" Finn asked, taking a handful of pumpkin guts and staring at them in disgust.

Hayley took hold of a pumpkin seed. "You can plant them for your own pumpkins."

Esther looked sadly at the seeds. "Nothing grows here."

"Well, then we can toast them. They make good snacks, too." Hayley said, beginning to pluck pumpkin seeds from the orange goo. Elijah helped her free the light-colored seeds. Together, they placed them on a tray Freya found for them.

"Now what shall we do?" Mikael asked, seeming bored.

Hayley became thoughtful. "Bob for apples?"

"Why?" Mikael shook his head.

"Okay. How about face-painting." Hayley suggested.

Mikael shook his head. "Child's-play."

"Oh, no. This takes a certain artistry." Hayley watched Mikael look even more irritated.

"Or we could leave the children to their fun," Esther suggested. She took Mikael's hand and led him away.

Once they parents were gone, Freya looked at Hayley. "Did you saying bobbing for apples?"

"Yup," Hayley nodded. "You ever played?"

"Oh, yes." Freya looked pleased. She opened the bottom cabinet door and pulled out a large bowl. She poured water inside it and then began to fish apples out of the bag that Hayley brought. "Child's-play. Now, this is the real artistry."

"Freya likes the game because she never loses," Finn said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Don't be sore, brother." Freya grinned, and pulled her hair back, closed her eyes and ducked her head inside the bowl. She came back up with an apple in her mouth. Taking the apple in hand, Freya smirked. "As I said, it's easy."

Klaus went next and took a long two minutes before he caught an apple.

Kol came back up dripping and spluttering.

Rebekah ducked her head inside and began to make bubbles before she caught the stem of a wandering apple and shot upward to spray everyone else with water.

Henrick got an advantage when Freya's finger waved and an apple slid under his desperately chomping mouth.

When it was Finn's turn, he looked at the bowl with a great reluctance.

Elijah patted his brother on the back. "Let me." He ducked in and caught an apple. Standing up, he handed it to Hayley, pushing his dripping hair out of his eyes.

"Ugh! He's going to kiss her!" Klaus cried, placing his hands over his eyes.

"Children!" Esther called out.

Hayley looked at the time and realized that this is when she usually came to visit. They went out to the gate. "No male visitors. No extra candy. In bed by nine." Hayley watched Mikael stare at her as she recited his lines. He really did not seem to enjoy having his routine broken and Hayley wondered if he drove Esther to the horrible act she seemed to be cursed to repeat on Halloween.

"Good night, children," Esther called out.

"My sword!" Finn cried out, checking his belt. "Klaus!"

"It's the ghosts!" Klaus complained. "Hayley can use it. Can't you?" He looked up at Hayley. Hayley had to wonder what the little ghost thought she could do with a plastic sword to ward off "ghosts" who would hurt them?

"I've got a spare in my car." Hayley told them. She went out to her car and Freya followed her out. Pausing, Hayley turned to Freya. "How is it that you can move and they can't?" Hayley nodded at the courtyard where the younger Mikaelsons were trapped.

Frowning, Freya folded her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you."

"Why? Is it your parents? Will they punish you?" Hayley asked, pulling out a plastic sword and walking with Freya to the gate.

Smirking, Freya shrugged. "Perhaps." This bit of cryptic replying to someone's question made Hayley want to scream. Why couldn't anyone around here just say what they meant?

Re-entering the gate, Hayley held up the sword. "I think this will help you," she told Finn.

Finn frowned at the sword. "This isn't mine."

"No. It's better. This one is a lot less flimsy." Hayley demonstrated by smacking Elijah on the arm with it. Elijah groaned and rubbed his arm. "See. It won't cut your enemies to shreds, but it won't bend on contact either." She handed the sword to Finn who waved it around and hacked at the gate with it. It made a banging sound which made Kol clap and grin.

"I want one, too!" Kol announced. "Buy me one, Hayley!"

"I will," Hayley promised.

~0~

Less than an hour passed before the bell rang. Glancing at Elijah's half-finished cat whiskers, Hayley set down her paint brush and got up. "I'll find out who it is." She went out and found her friends with their young charges.

"Hi!" Caroline called, her mouth popping as she pulled out a candy ring. She waved wildly at something behind Hayley. Glancing around, Hayley found Klaus, Rebekah, Kol and Henrick hurrying toward the gate.

"Open up!" Marcel cried, going to hold onto the gate.

"You're getting old!" Rebekah told Marcel, frowning. She folded her arms over her chest and pouted. "You're as old as Nik."

"Sorry." Marcel looked sorry. He frowned and tugged his skeleton mask down. "I'm human. Remember?"

Bekah looked back at Hayley with a confused look.

"They forget sometimes," Elijah said, placing his hands on Hayley's shoulders.

"We've got candy!" Davina said, shaking a bag at Bekah who cheered back up.

Walking over to the gate, Hayley called to Vincent. "Hey, can you go into my car and get my other bags?" She felt like the ghostly children needed something a little extra to feel happy.

"Gotcha." Vincent caught Hayley's keys when she tossed them to him.

Will came in and placed a hand on his hip. "You coming in, Cam?" He tipped his cowboy hat at her. "I've got your back, girl."

"I'm not a girl." Cami snapped, rolling her eyes. "I am a WIB."

"What?" Elijah looked to Hayley.

Hayley grinned. "Woman in Black. Like _Men_ _in_ _Black_?"

Elijah still looked confused. "Is this a new branch of the government?"

"Yeah, pal. It's part of the alien inspection team," Will said, throwing an arm around Elijah's shoulders. "Don't worry, you're kind if safe from her strange probing. Although she likes to—"

"Hey! There are little ears!" Cami cried, placing her hands over her cousin's ears.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Cami and Will have sex," she told the ghost kids.

"What's sex?" Kol asked, unwrapping a candy bar. Henrick, Bekah and Davina also looked curious.

"None of your beeswax!" Vincent told them as he came in with more bags. "Who wants to find out what's in here? Huh?" He shook the bags at the kids.

"I do!" Bekah cried, bouncing up and down as she chewed on taffy and Hayley had to remind herself that she did not need to worry about poor Bekah choking to death. Then she felt guilty and wanted to scream. It was a good thing that Vincent had gone Pied Piper, leading the younger kids inside the house. "Oh? Look, is this a tiara?" Vincent cried with mock-shock. "How do I look?" He placed the tiara on his head and posed on the side stairs.

"Funny!" Kol cried. "Is there a sword in there?"

Vincent looked in the bag. "No. But I know how to make one."

"You do!" Kol seemed thrilled.

Hayley followed Cami up the stairs. Elijah was right behind Hayley and they stopped in the hallway. "Okay," Vincent said. "Time to be sexist! Girls to my left. Gentlemen, to my right. Choose a bedroom, so we may make some changes in our apparel for the night."

Hayley slipped into the bedroom to the left. Cami, Bekah, Care and Davina went inside. A couple of bags appeared outside the door and Cami closed it and locked it. Bekah looked inside the bag and "oh-ed" and "ah-ed" at the costumes. She pulled out a pink gown and held it to herself. "It's like a princess!"

"Princesses need tiaras," Caroline said. She looked inside one of the bags and pulled one out. "Here. Now, you're officially Princess Rebekah of New Orleans."

"What will you be?" Bekah inquired, her eyes wide.

Caroline pulled out a pair of plastic teeth and clacked them at Bekah. "A vampire. Duh." She shoved the teeth into her mouth and made a scary face, her hands raised and chased a laughing Bekah through the room.

When they were done, Hayley emerged and found Elijah, looking dapper in a Prince Charming costume. "What are you?" he asked.

"Glinda, the good witch. From _The_ _Wizard_ _of_ _Oz_." Hayley watched Elijah as he looked confused. "Seriously! You've never seen that film! How is that possible?" Shaking her head, Hayley waited for the other males to come out.

Klaus jumped into the hallway in a full-on Dracula look. "I vant to suck your blood!" he cried with a maniacal cackle.

Kol came out in a Ninja Turtle costume. "Mighty Morphing Turtle Rangers!" he cried out, showing off his martial arts moves and kicking a hole in the wall.

Bekah appeared, stepping through the wall that her brother just made. "Am I pretty?" she asked, twirling with a dreamy smile.

"Did you change your face?" Kol inquired, snickering.

At that moment Davina emerged. Her little face was green. She had a wart at the tip of her nose. Her teeth looked like she'd been eating all her Halloween candy and never brushed and she grinned at them, tossing her long, black wig's locks over her shoulder. "I'll get you, my pretties!" she pointed a long, sharp fingernail at all of them and cackled in a way that made Hayley wonder if that was all an act.

Henrik came out looking like the cutest puppy ever. He got down on all fours and began to pant, biting at Kol's ankle. "He used to bite at Kol when he was two, too," Elijah informed Hayley.

"You don't say." Hayley said, taking the arm that Elijah held out for her. They left the hallway and went downstairs.

Someone turned on the Monster Mash song and Hayley showed Elijah how to dance to it. Or she tried to before she gave up and wrapped her arms around his neck for a slow dance.

~0~

Long before they were expected, Freya and Finn came home. "The party was dull this evening. Not enough dancing in the nude and howling at the moon." Freya groaned. She fell onto the seat occupied by Vincent and stole his snicker bar. Taking a bite, she licked any chocolate off her fingers and Vincent could only stare at her. Hayley wondered if he was going to freak.

Cami's eyes went from the TV screen which played the latest hack-and-slash film to her other best friend. "You okay?" she called.

Vincent did not look away from Freya. "Uh. Yeah? Uh."

"Looks like some girl finally left him speechless," Will said, grinning and popping popcorn into his mouth.

Finn folded his arms over his chest. "You didn't drag me home to flirt with the human, did you?" he demanded, punching the rug with his sword.

"Jealous?" Klaus inquired, chewing a Reese's cup that Care gave him.

Glowering, Finn shook his head. "Not in the slightest."

"You miss your girlfriend?" Kol called out.

"He has a girlfriend?" Will now looked intrigued. "When do we get to meet her, man?"

"Tell me she's not another –" Cami bit her tongue when Hayley sent her a dark look. "Blonde. I just hate it when there are so many of us."

"She's a redhead." Finn pulled out a necklace. "She left me this. A long time ago. She used to babysit. Like Hayley."

"Did she die?" Will asked. Hayley wanted to kick him, but he was too busy staring at the girl in the black and white photo. Even Cami seemed intrigued now that there was a face. She did love a good mystery.

"More than likely. It's been many years since we've seen her." Finn closed the locket. "One day, I hope to meet her again."

Everyone became silent. They were all lost in their own thoughts.

"Chocolate." Henrick smeared a hand on Bekah's dress.

"Oh, Henrik. You've ruined Hayley's present!" Rebekah cried, tears began to swim in her eyes.

Marcel looked at the dress. "You can wash it."

"In the sink?" Bekah looked shocked.

"No. In a washing machine." Caroline gave Bekah a long look.

Bekah simply stared at the stain. "It'll never be the same."

"I'll be fixed before next year." Hayley pulled Bekah into her lap.

"Promise?" Bekah asked, her eyes wide as she looked up at Hayley's face.

"Promise." Hayley showed Bekah how to pinkie swear and Bekah curled up in her lap.

~0~

An hour 'til they would need to go, Elijah coaxed Hayley upstairs. She found he'd lit candles in his room and closed the door. "Are we really going to do this?" she asked him.

"I may be a bit rusty," Elijah said. "But I've waited for years to find you." He finished his words with a long and meaningful kiss. Hayley felt her blood rising and her hands curled into his hair as he lifted her off her feet.

Crown falling to the floor, Hayley gasped as Elijah trailed his fingers up her stocking-clad leg. She hoped none of the kids decided to pop into the room. His lips went over her neck and she cried out, "Elijah!"

~0~

When Hayley woke up, she found that she only had ten minutes to dress, to raise her friends from whatever they were up to and to get out of that house. Some part of her tried to devise a plan to stay. What if she could witness what happened and begin to plot out a way to save her friends and boyfriend?

"Hayley," Elijah moaned, rolling onto his side. He hadn't woken up yet. If she could just slip out of the bed… If he could believe she left… Then his eyes popped open and a look of sheer horror came over his face. Sitting bolt-upright, he grasped her by the upper arms. "It's not safe, Hayley. You must leave! Now! Get your friends! And go!" He made her shiver as he spoke.

Forcing herself off the side of the bed, Hayley collected her clothes and dressed with a sense of haste she never felt before. If something scared Elijah, she did not want to confront it. Not yet. "Hurry!" Elijah cried, jerking his shirt on. He took hold of Hayley's arm and propelled her toward the bedroom door.

"What's going on?" Hayley demanded, trying to stop Elijah. But he was dragging her down the stairs. His mouth was set in a tight line as he pulled her down. "Elijah, please, you can trust me."

Stopping at the end of the stairs, Elijah cupped her head with both of his hands. "Know that I love you. Please. Be safe. Trust me, Hayley, nothing that happens from here on out will give you anything but painful memories to hold onto 'til you're in your own grave."

Hayley pressed forward, kissing him, one last time before she hurried over to her friends. She knew that time was running out. The temperature in the room had begun to dip and something felt like it oozed from the walls. Something dark and old. She could almost hear it begin to whisper her name.

"Wake up!" Hayley shouted.

Vincent jumped in his sleep, kicking Freya's leg which wound around his own. She flexed her back and came to as if from a pleasant dream, a small smile on her face until she saw Elijah's look. "Oh, no!" she cried. "Vince, get up! Get up!" she dragged Vincent to his feet. "Finn, wake up! Help me!" she shouted at her brother.

Finn sat up from his position on the floor. "What? What's happening?"

"It's started!" Freya said. "Come, help me with the humans! They need to go now! Before it's too late!"

"Too late for what?" Will said, waking up and snorting. He grasped Cami's shoulder and woke her with a shake.

"Huh?" Cami looked confused, too. Until she let out a scream. "There's a face!" she shouted.

Hayley whirled and saw a face coming at them. "Oh, my –!"

"No!" Elijah shouted. He pushed Hayley toward the door.

Hayley only had time to grab Davina's arm and haul the child to her feet.

Somehow they made it to the gate which took so long to open. Caroline's eyes widened. "No! Nik!" she shrieked when something came running toward the boy ghost. Care tried to run to him, but Will grabbed her by the waist and carried her out.

Cami leaned against the closed gate, making the sign of the cross. "Never again, do you all hear me! I will never go in there, again!"

Hayley forced herself to head to her car. She sat there, shaking and crying and wishing she could go back and help. Next year. Next year would be different. Somehow.

**TBC…**

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my lovely readers. Halloween is just around the corner which means we have two more parts and a shocker of an ending in this one… On with the show…**

**Tales of the Halloween Babysitter Part III:**

An alarm went off. Without looking at it, Hayley slapped the annoying sound off. Her eyes were blurry from lack of sleep. She'd laid on her back, all night long, and thought about what she needed to do today. Today she would help to stop the horror that took the lives of the Mikaelsons. Today, Hayley Marshall would change history. Or so she thought.

Getting up, Hayley marched over to her closet. She pulled it open and removed the black dress she'd bought last month. She removed the broom and hat. Nothing like annoying some spirits with this get-up. She adjusted the hat and glanced in the mirror glued to the inside of the door. "Lookin' good, Hayley," she muttered to herself.

Hayley went back over to her bed. Her heavy black boots were waiting for her. They were both useful for running in and stomping the crap out of unwanted, undead hands clawing at her.

Pushing herself to her feet, Hayley grabbed her phone and made her way to the front of her apartment. "Okay. Bags. Check. Costume. Check. Just got to go collect my co-conspirators and everything will be smooth sailing." Or so she hoped.

~0~

Cami sat in the passenger seat. "I cannot believe you convinced me to do this." She shook her head. Her fingers were balled into fists on her thighs. "You know this is dangerous. And stupid. Did I mention dangerous?" Her green eyes went to meet Hayley's.

"That's why I asked one of the bravest people I know to come with me," Hayley shot back, winking at Cami. "Besides, you know I won't let anything happen to you."

Scoffing, Cami rolled her eyes. "You better hope nothing happens to them." She glanced in the backseat.

Caroline and Davina were whispering secrets to each other. Small hands were cupped to small ears and the girls could not stop giggling.

"Remember when we were that small. Things were much simpler then." Cami looked out the windshield. "Before boys…"

"You and Will doing okay?" Hayley asked.

Cami nodded with a wan smile. "College is hard. On both of us. And he's not even in college. Too busy trying become a cop. It feels like we never have time together anymore."

Hayley tried to listen to Cami complain about her relationship problems and not compare her own situation. Try being with a guy you can only spend one day a year with. And then add in getting older while he remains a seventeen-year-old, possibly forever. Of course, if Hayley's plan worked out, that might change.

As usual Hayley parked the car on the street. The girls in the back stopped chattering. "We're here." Hayley said, popping the locks. Before she could get out of the car, Caroline leapt out of the back seat and made a run for the gate.

"Let us in!" Caroline shouted with glee. She rattled the gate which groaned.

Davina went to join Caroline and they continued to rattle the gate.

Heart pounding in her chest, Hayley shoved her car door open and she and Cami went to join their young charges. This time Hayley did not have to ring the bell because Kol came running to the gate. "Mother! Mother! They're here!"

"They?" Esther looked a little surprised to be met with not just Hayley but Cami, Caroline and Davina. "Oh, Hayley. You've brought guests… How unusual…" Hayley could not tell if Esther was displeased as the ghost made her way to the gate.

Rebekah came skipping out across the courtyard and then her look of joy froze on her face. "Why are you all so old?" she demanded, a touch of wariness in her voice and a look of contempt following. "Mother, I do not wish to play with them."

"Rebekah, they're Kol's friends, too. Be polite," Esther said. She opened the gate.

Cami gave Hayley a long look before taking a tentative step inside. She acted the like the house would bite her. "Um. Hi. Mrs. Mikaelson. I'm Cami O'Connell."

"O'Connell?" Esther looked thoughtful. "You're the daughter of the mayor?"

Cami blinked. "Um…yeah." She looked at Hayley who shrugged.

"Oh, how delightful." Esther beamed. "And you will be helping Hayley with the babysitting this year? My children can be a handful. Sometimes Mikael and I have a hard time dealing with them, all on our own –"

"That's what we're good for," Freya quipped, coming down the side stairs with a dry smile. "Camille, how good of you to stop by."

"You know Cami?" Esther asked, her brows rising.

Freya nodded. "We've been at some of the same parties."

Cami nodded. "Real ragger, last year. Huh?"

Smile freezing on her face, Freya's eyes narrowed. "Yes. Quite. How is Vincent? Having any wild dreams lately?"

"He'll be at the party. Tonight. Why don't you ask him yourself?" Cami snapped.

Esther's eyes went from her daughter to Cami. "And you brought more children," she said, returning to the hostess and mother role. "How thoughtful. Our young ones so rarely get to meet new children."

"We're not new," Davina said.

"Have a sucker." Hayley jerked a lollipop out of her pocket and waved it at Davina who accepted the bribe.

"You're early. Again." Mikael came out from the ground floor and moved to join the group. "You didn't being boys with you?" He looked at Hayley and Cami. "You do remember my rules, don't you?"

"Yes, sir. No extra candy. No boys. Kids in bed by nine. Thought of getting it tattooed on my wrist, but people might find it weird." Hayley watched Mikael's unchanging expression. "So, if you wanted to head out early…Cam and I have got things covered here."

Esther looked to Mikael. "When is the last time we left early? Have a nice stroll down The Quarter?" Her look said she really wanted to go and Mikael seemed to fall under her spell.

"Whatever it is that will please you most, darling." Mikael took Esther's arm.

"Have a good night, children," Esther called out. She waved a hand before she left with her husband.

"What are you up to, Hayley?" Freya demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What makes you think I'm up to anything?" Hayley countered.

Freya's mouth opened when Finn came out on Elijah's balcony. "Freya, Niklaus has my sword!" he shouted, looking perturbed. "Make him give it back to me!"

"Niklaus! Every year we have this same discussion!" Freya groaned. She headed for the stairs.

Cami pulled out her phone. "Before. Or after that one leaves?" Her eyes went to Freya on the staircase.

"After," Hayley sighed. She looked at Caroline. The little blonde had gone over to peer inside the glass doors. "Care, what are you doing?"

"Looking for Klaus. He's hiding from the ghosts." Caroline turned to give Hayley a shockingly serious look for a ten-year-old. "He told me, last year, that they're going to hurt him and his siblings and he needs to protect them. That's why he needs a sword. He told me to keep this with me." She held up a Sherriff's star. "This is my mom's."

"And you're not supposed to have that," Cami said, marching over to Caroline. "Give it to me. Now!"

"NO!" Caroline shouted. Then the doors flew open and Klaus came flying out.

Klaus brandished the plastic sword at Cami. "Leave her alone! It's hers! Not yours! You can't have it!" His looked fearsome and somehow Hayley felt happy to never have to deal with a grown-up Klaus having a temper tantrum. "Back away!" he growled out.

Cami placed her hands on her hips. "She's in my care, little ghost boy."

Klaus shook his sword at her. "You don't understand. You can't. You're still alive. When you're dead, you'll understand why." Taking hold of Caroline's hand, Klaus jerked her inside the house and slammed the doors in Cami's face.

"Are you kidding me!" Cami shouted. "Klaus, open this door! Right now!"

"Klaus is in trouble," Kol snickered. Then he turned around. "Want to see a trick?" he asked.

Davina grinned. "Yes!"

Kol nodded. Hayley watched Kol disappear. Seconds later, he stood on the balcony railing. "Hi!" he called, before he dove off.

Hayley's heart stopped as Kol came plummeting toward the brickwork that made up the courtyard. This was not part of the plan. Then Elijah stood with a squirming Kol in his arms. "That's not the trick, Elijah!" Kol complained, wriggling onto his feet. "Wait! I'm going to do it again! You'll love it!"

"No, you will not!" Elijah snapped. He placed a heavy hand on Kol's shoulder.

Kol groaned. "But it's cool, Elijah! They'll love it!"

"Kol," Elijah's measured look stopped Kol from whatever he planned on doing.

"Fine. Hayley, did you bring us candy?" Kol asked, his eyes wide and shinning.

"Lots and lots!" Davina said. "Let's go get it!"

They ran for the gate. At that last second, Kol stopped. "I can't go out."

"Why not?" Davina called, already outside the gate. She panted from the exertion and looked confused, her light eyes darkening. "Is it because something bad will happen to you?"

"Uh-huh." Kol nodded, peering outside. "I want to. But I can't."

"It's okay. We'll get the candy." Davina waved for Cami and Hayley to come help her.

Once outside, Cami looked at her phone. "The boys are here."

"Yup." Hayley watched Will pull up behind her. He popped out of his jeep. He'd chosen an Indiana Jones costume this year. Even Vincent decided to dress up for the year.

"Donald Trump?" Cami complained, rolling her eyes.

Vincent lifted the mask. "Scariest costume I could find this year anyway. It was that or Hitler. Maybe a clown." He shrugged and pulled out a bag of candy. "So, is…umm…is…"

"Freya's still inside. Trying to get Klaus to give Finn back his sword," Hayley said.

Vincent looked pleased. "Cool."

"You're so not cool." Will said. "Cami, where's you costume?"

"I didn't feel like dressing up this year." Cami said. "I guess I'm tired of this holiday." She opened one of Hayley's doors and retrieved a bag of Halloween candy. Hayley opened the opposite door and retrieved the holy water and Bible.

"Are you going to be putting on an Exorcist costume, Hales?" Will teased her.

"No." Hayley shook her head. "Where are Marcel and Vincent?"

Will groaned. "Damn it. Honey, I forgot the kids. Don't let anything good happen while I'm gone." He moved to kiss Cami on the cheek before he got back in his jeep. "They can't have gotten too far away. I only left them five blocks away…" He was saying as he started up the jeep and drove off.

Cami rolled her eyes. "Once more with lack of gusto." She waved toward the house and glanced at her phone.

Hayley could feel her own heart beginning to pound. They made their way back inside the gate. Finn came out with his sword and looked pleased with himself. Klaus came out of the house, Caroline by his side and he looked like he might attack someone, mainly Finn. "I need it!" he cried, trying to get at the sword while Freya stood in front of him.

"It's not yours, Niklaus!" Freya cried back.

"I need it more than he does!" Klaus countered.

"Do not!" Finn snapped, holding his sword to his chest.

Klaus ground his teeth. "Fine. Go to the stupid party. If we're all dead, it'll be all your stupid fault!" Tears were swimming in his eyes.

"Candy?" Davina called out, pulling out a Crunch bar and waved it at the other children.

A wail came from upstairs. "Henrik," Hayley sighed.

"Freya," Vincent said, distracting Freya long enough for Klaus to kick Finn in the shin and to steal the coveted sword.

"Nooo!" Finn shouted as Klaus ran off. Caroline darted after Klaus.

Freya stood, winding a curl around her finger and ignoring Finn's shouting for his sword for once.

Hayley rolled her eyes and moved to the stairs. "I'll get the baby," she muttered.

"What are those for?" Elijah asked, startling Hayley who noted his noting the book and water bottle. "Planning something, Hayley?"

"Not yet." Hayley watched Elijah look worried.

"Hayley –" Cutting his words off with her lips pressed to his, Hayley pulled back to watch Elijah's expression change. "Never mind."

They continued on their way down the hallway. Henrik stood in his crib, his thumb in his mouth. His eyes began to glow when he spotted Hayley. "Haybop," Henrik shouted as his thumb popped out of his mouth. Hayley shoved the Bible and water bottle into Elijah's chest before going to Henrik. He hiccupped as she went to pick him up. He pressed his wet cheek against her chest.

"Hi there, honey," Hayley said, bouncing him on her hip. "You're not having a very happy Halloween, are you?" she cooed. "Let's see what we can do about that." She pressed a soft kiss to the side of his head.

Elijah moved aside so they could go back downstairs and join the others.

By the time they got down to the first floor, they found the group had moved to the living room. Kol sat in front of the TV. "Look, there's a new Addams Family movie."

The "new" movie included Angelica Houston as Morticia and Cristina Ricci as Wednesday. Yup. Definitely new, if you'd been stuck in a time-warp for about a hundred years.

"Candy?" Henrik cried, wiggling in Hayley's arms. Hayley set him on the floor and watched him go to Davina who had been handing out goodies. "Thank you!" he cried, smiling happily.

"You're welcome," Davina said, falling down beside Kol. "This is old," she told him, taking the remote and flipping the station.

"Old?" Kol's brows went up. "How can it be old? I've never seen it!" He scowled and tried to get the remote. "Give me!" he cried while Davina held the remote over her head.

Elijah moved to intervene. "Kol, let her have the remote."

"No! It's our house! It's our rules!" Kol complained, getting to his feet. He stomped on the floor. "I want it!" he shouted. He disappeared and appeared, to the other side of Davina and took the remote from her.

Davina let out a growl and threw herself at Kol. They fell to the floor and began to roll around, fighting for the remote. Hayley felt worried because Kol might do something that Hayley could not stop him from doing.

Then Davina let out a cry of fury and Kol fell on his back. His eyes widened in shock. "You threw me!" he cried.

"Did not!" Davina cried, holding the remote to her chest.

"Did, too!" Kol pointed a finger at her. "Witch!" he cried in wonder.

Davina's eyes went to Hayley. Cami had her hands on her hips as she watched the chaos. "Would you two stop it?" Cami demanded. "Caroline!" She waited and then looked at the stairs. "I have to find her."

The doorbell rang. Elijah looked up. "Who is that?"

"Probably Vincent. Will, can you watch the kids while Elijah goes to collect Vincent?" Hayley said. "Cami and I are going to track down Klaus and Caroline." She took her Bible and water bottle from Elijah.

"Right." Will waved a full-size Snickers at them, his eyes on the TV screen. Somehow a slasher film was playing and Henrik was gaping at the TV screen.

"Will, for God's sake, change the station!" Cami shouted. "Boys are so stupid," she muttered, loudly.

"Heard that!" Will called out.

"Meant for you to," Cami said, stomping up the stairs. "If we live through tonight, that boy and I are having one hell of a conversation," she seemed to be talking to herself as much as she was talking to Hayley on their way down the hall.

They stopped at the end of the row of bedrooms and Cami looked at the stairs. "Creepy attic?" she inquired.

"I guess." Hayley followed her friend and hoped that the real scary things would decide to leave them alone, for now.

"Klaus?" Hayley called.

"Caroline?" Cami called, turning on the flashlight on her phone. "Come out here!"

"No!" Caroline called out. "I'm safer with him than you. You don't understand."

"I can try. If you'll let me." Cami waited, flashing the light around until Caroline came out. Klaus moved behind her. One of Klaus' hands hovered near Caroline as if he meant to grab her the second something spooked him.

"You okay?" Hayley asked them.

"What's that for?" Klaus asked, nearing and stopping as he concentrated on the Bible. "Books don't work here."

"Not this one either?" Hayley asked.

Klaus came over and looked at the book. "No. Never."

Cami looked at Hayley. She gulped. "Well, it has been fun being up here. But I think I'd prefer to be downstairs. With the others. And there's lots of candy. Games. Scary movies. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"I'm thirsty," Klaus said, taking hold of Hayley's bottle of water, he uncapped it and took a long swallow. Hayley felt her throat close. If the holy water did something to him; Elijah would never forgive her. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself either.

Cami broke the silence. "Is he okay?" she hissed out, under her breath, hand going to Hayley's.

Hayley could only wait. Then someone else broke the silence. "You found them?" Elijah said, coming to stand beside Hayley.

"Funny water," Klaus said. "Tastes stale." He handed it to Hayley and ran a hand over his mouth. "Let's go down."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hayley went down to join the rest of the kids and her friends. "You're all soooo old!" Rebekah wailed, shaking her head. "Why are you all sooo old?" she whimpered, looking at Marcel and Josh. She went to bury her face in Elijah's pant leg.

Hayley closed her eyes. If all went well, tonight, this would be the last one Rebekah would have to worry about the "older" kids.

~0~

"Thanks for coming, Father," Hayley said. She stood at the gate of the Mikaelson home.

Elijah stood beside her. "Hayley, do you have any idea what kind of danger you're putting everyone in, bringing this man here?" He waved a hand at Father Kieran O'Connell. "Forgive me, Father." He bowed his head.

Kieran looked from Hayley to Elijah. "This is one of them?" he asked.

"Yes." Hayley said. She opened the gate and the priest came in. "And we have…thirty minutes until this…possession begins?" He looked at the house. He'd heard the rumors. They'd all heard the rumors.

"Yup." Hayley nodded, looking at the house. "Tonight, we're ending this nightmare. Once and for all."

"How?" Elijah asked.

"With this," Hayley said. "And a good old-fashioned exorcism."

"How wonderful," Elijah did not seemed pleased with Hayley's plan. "Father, if you will excuse us, Hayley and I have matters to discuss." He took hold of Hayley's elbow and led her away. "What were you thinking? You're endangering the lives of this man and all of the guests!" he told Hayley.

Hayley shook her head. "This has to end Elijah. You can't go on like this! I remember what happened last year! And the first year I came here! I won't allow you to be hurt. Not anymore!" Inhaling, she looked at where Kol had gone to sit on one of the balconies. His legs hung over the ledge and he chewed on a Twix. "They deserve to be free."

"You think I don't feel the same way?" Elijah demanded, shaking his head.

"Excuse me," Father Kieran called to them. "But we're running out of time."

Pulling away from Elijah; Hayley whispered. "Trust me. Please?"

Elijah shook his head but was silent as they headed inside the house.

"Oh, who let the Priest in?" Will cried. He jumped up and fell on his knees. "Father, forgive me. I know now what I do."

"William, shut up." Kieran's words were met with Will's mouth dropping open. "Shall we begin upstairs?" the Priest asked.

Hayley nodded. "Sounds like the best plan." They went up and began to sprinkle holy water and the priest began to speak in Latin. His hand made the motion of the cross as they went from room to room.

A low murmur began to rumble through the house as they moved through it. And Hayley noted her breath beginning to fog. "I'll take over," Elijah said, taking the bottle. "You get the others out of here."

Hayley nodded. "Right. Okay." She hurried downstairs. "Sorry, everyone. It seems we have a gas leak."

"No!" Kol cried, trying to hold onto Davina as Cami jerked Will onto his feet.

"We're leaving? Already?" Vincent said. Then something dark began to seep out of the wall to his left. "Okay…"

"Klaus?" Caroline cried as something wet dribbled onto her ruby slipper. She whimpered and Klaus took her arm, propelling her toward the door. "Klaus, don't make me go…"

"Caroline! Leave!" Klaus cried, pushing her into Marcel who picked her up and carried her out the side door.

On their way out of the house Freya and Finn were coming back in. They were all smiles until something let out a shriek. "What the hell is going on here!" Freya demanded, her eyes on the house. "What have you done!"

"Freya!" Rebekah wailed, throwing herself at her sister.

"How is it starting already?" Finn demanded, his eyes on the house. "It's too early!"

"Get out!" Klaus shouted as something whooshed out of the house and barreled toward them.

"Out!" Freya cried, her arms swept upward and then the humans went flying through the gate. All except for Hayley who went flying back toward the house. "Noooo!" Freya shrieked.

"Hayley!" Cami screamed, grasping for the gate and shaking it. "Let her go! You son of a bitch!" Her eyes were glassy as she screamed. "Hay-ley!"

Hayley felt something cold enfolding its arms around her as she flew inside the house.

"The house. It wants her now," Freya was saying as she came into the house. "Hayley, hold on. We're coming!"

Hayley took a deep breath. With all of her strength, she reached inside her pocket and then threw a pile of salt on the floor. "Not tonight, you freaks!" she shouted.

The spirit who had ahold of her let out a pained shriek. Hayley whirled around and ran down the hallway. "Elijah, where are you?"

Elijah appeared before her. "It's too strong. You must leave!" he cried, taking hold of her arms.

"I can't. I can't leave you. Not like this!" Hayley said, shaking her head.

Then the priest fell down the stairs. "Get him out of here," Elijah ordered Freya and Finn.

"Elijah!" Klaus screamed. "Help me!"

"Noooo!" Rebekah's cried.

Elijah looked to Hayley. "Go with Freya. She'll get you out."

Hayley shook her head. A loud snapping sound and the good father was moaning in pain, his arms snapping backwards. "No arguing!" Freya cried as the doors flew open. Then the priest went sailing out and over the gate.

"Did you do that?" Hayley asked Freya.

Freya shook her head in horror.

"Go, Hayley. Before it's too late!" Elijah said.

Freya took hold of Hayley's hand and tugged her out and into the courtyard. They ran toward the gate and Hayley felt horrible. She thought she could fix this. But it looked like she'd failed. Again.

"What is the meaning of this?" Esther's voice rang out as she and Mikael came to the gate and it opened.

"You defy my rules, again?" Mikael cried, his eyes shining with other-worldly anger.

The gate closed behind the parents. "Well, we will have to discuss this matter inside."

"No, Mother. Father!" Freya said. But Mikael took hold of Freya and Hayley's arms, forcing them both back inside the house.

Once inside, Esther looked at the two. "How will I punish you two for your behavior?"

Hayley looked to Freya. She thought she already knew the answer to that.

"Leave her alone!" Elijah called out.

"This does not concern you!" Mikael thundered.

Taking the opportunity, Hayley kicked Mikael in the shin. He let out a cry and Hayley ran upstairs. She went inside Elijah's room and then to the balcony. If she could make it to the stairs and to the gate...

"Happy Halloween," a voice whispered into her ear and then Hayley felt herself pitch forward. Her eyes went wide as she looked at death in the shape of the brick courtyard. Well, she knew where she'd be next Halloween.

_**TBC…**_

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, my lovely readers. Are you ready to find out the fate of our cast? On with the show…**

**Tales of the Halloween Babysitter: Part IV**

Wind whooshed past Hayley's face as her body hurtled downward. Gravity jerked her toward a painful and merciless death but she did not feel fear. A sense of wonderment passed through her. Her friends' screams were a soundtrack that she could hear a faint echo of as she closed her eyes and waited for release from this mortal coil.

However, something, fate, or the PTB, whatever it is you believe in, interceded and instead of feeling her skull crack and then nothing at all: Hayley felt a pair of arms holding her. Opening one eye, Hayley peeked out and saw Cami. Her friend's eyes were shining with tears but she was smiling. A laugh broke out from Vincent who looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Hayley?" Elijah's voice made Hayley look up and into the only eyes she ever wanted to look into again. "You're going home now." He sprinted past dark, grasping shapes which wailed as he passed them on his way to his goal: the gate.

"Open!" Freya screamed and the gate flew open.

"Go! Hayley," Elijah shoved Hayley's body into Vincent's arms.

Scrambling away from her friend, Hayley nearly fell as she moved toward Elijah as the gate closed in her face. "No! No, Elijah, wait! Let me stay! Please! They want me, too! Let me be with you! Don't shut me out!" Her hands went through the gate, reaching for Elijah with a kind of desperation she knew she'd never feel again.

Elijah stopped and went back. He took Hayley's outstretched hand and pressed it to his lips. "I will never love another being as I love you. Good-bye, Hayley Marshall." He turned and ran back to the house.

"Noooo!" Hayley cried, taking hold of the gate. She jerked at it with all her strength. "Let me in! Eli-jah! Don't do this!"

"Help me with her," Cami cried, taking hold of Hayley's left arm and beginning to pry her off the gate. Will took hold of Hayley's waist. Vincent took her right arm. Together Hayley's friends pried her off the gate while she screamed at them and fought back.

Caroline, Davina, Marcel and Josh stood outside the gate, watching in horror as things they had yet to learn the words for came floating outside of the house. Screams tore through the air. Caroline whimpered and pressed her face into Marcel's jacket. He patted her on the back. Davina dried a tear on her cheek before drying Josh's.

None of them would ever forget that night of the things they saw.

**Ten years later: **

"Are you insane?" Cami demanded. She had her hands on her hips and glowered at Hayley. "You've got your life together. Finally. And now you want to throw it all away? Over what? A fantasy of a boy who you can't be with? I should be charging you for this crap!"

Hayley turned on her heel. "Cam, either you're helping. Or you're in my way. Now, did you call a babysitter, or not?"

Cami rolled her eyes. "Or course. Uncle Kieran's coming by to help out."

"Good," Hayley swung her bag over her shoulder. "Tonight's the night. I know it."

"I swear, if we get killed. I am so blaming you!" Cami groaned. She strode downstairs and then looked at the couch. "Will, baby. It's time to go."

Will started from his sleep and wiped drool from the side of his mouth. "Go?"

"Monster-hunting. The god mother of our babies wants us to get eaten up by some Big Bad Spirits," Cami said with a wry smile.

Cocking an eyebrow, Will nodded. "Must mean it is Halloween. Is Kieran here yet?"

"He'll be here in a couple of minutes," Cami said. She threw her arms around her husband of five years neck and gave him a long kiss.

Hayley rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and smirked. "Okay." she said when a knock on the door sounded.

Cami went to the door and answered. "Vince. I thought you were in Nepal."

Vincent shrugged. "Will called. He told me about Hayley's plan. No way I'm going to miss how this story ends."

Hayley grinned and moved to hug her old friend. "You're looking good, Vincent. Find a new love yet?"

Vincent shrugged. "Sometimes you meet someone and there's no replacing them." He gave Hayley a significant look and Hayley blushed. She knew he was referring to her time with Elijah. "Right. Well, I assume you all called a babysitter?"

"We did," Cami nodded.

And as if on cue, the doorbell rang and Cami answered. "Hi, Uncle Kieran. Thank you for coming. The babies' food is in the cabinets. Toys are in their rooms. Sean loves his snuffy. And Cameron is big on the teddy with the pink sweater, not the green one."

"Got it. You kids have fun," Kieran told them. His smile held something that made Hayley wonder if he knew what they were up to.

"Night." Will tipped his head and opened the door for the other three to go ahead of him.

Into the night they went. They found a chilly, crisp fall breeze whipping through their clothing. Hayley shuddered in her winter coat. She made her way to her new vehicle, a mini-van for the kids she planned on having. Will and Cami climbed in the back and Vince climbed in the front.

"Know where we're going?" Will asked as Hayley pulled out and began to drive. She was not going in the exact direction of the Mikaelson's.

"Yes. I am going to the best party of the night," Hayley told them with a smile.

~0~

Music thumped around them and they could barely hear each other. It felt like a mirage, this sea of children who thrust their bodies into the beat of music that surrounded them. They were oblivious to the dangers of the world, safe in their delusion of safety in their "scary" costumes. Hayley knew what was really frightening, and this was not it.

"Find anything?" Will shouted over the music.

Hayley shook her head and she saw a streak of blonde and bright pink hair. Then a girl in a black witch's costume with a look that should frighten people on her face. A tall man with a grin that Hayley would know anywhere. A boy who nuzzled the neck of the boy who he was with. They were together. Even after all these years.

Pushing her way through the crowd, Hayley cupped her hands to her mouth. "Care. Davina. Marcel. Josh!"

The four turned almost as one to look back at the people who had once babysat for them. None of them needed a babysitter anymore. They were in their late teens and early twenties.

"Hayley?" Davina looked to Josh who ran a hand through his dark locks and grinned. "What are you doing here?"

"I need some assistance with something!" Hayley yelled back.

"Oh, yeah?" Caroline chuckled. "Good luck." She passed further into the crowd.

"Care!" Marcel shouted, pushing through and he caught Caroline by the wrist.

They exchanged words before Caroline came back and glared at them. "Fine," Caroline snapped. "You've got 'til sunrise. Then I have to hang upside down." She flashed a set of fangs which did not look like something you picked up at a store.

Cami took a step back and ran into Will. "She's a vampire." Then she stomped over to Caroline. "Does Aunt Liz know about this?" she demanded, hand on her hips.

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Can we find somewhere quieter to talk?" she called out.

Davina nodded. She led the group to a room in the back of the party. She closed a door behind them and leaned against it. Will did not look too happy to be in a space without an extra exit. "Is this place up to code?" he demanded. His detective senses were firing off but Hayley had limited time to deal with things.

"Do you have a coven?" Hayley asked Davina.

Josh looked shocked and he looked at Davina. "You didn't tell me you were really a witch."

"You didn't tell me you were gay until two years ago. But, hello, obvious!" Davina retorted an eye roll. "Yes. I have a coven."

"Good. Can you call them?" Hayley asked.

Davina nodded. "Sure. Whether they'll help what I figure you're up to…" She shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"Thanks for the crypto answer," Hayley groaned. She looked at the others. "Are you ready for one more holiday from hell?"

Caroline looked at the floor so Marcel answered for them. "Will it help them?" Hayley nodded. "Then we're in."

Caroline let out a sigh and shook her head. But she did not protest.

"Right. Davina, I need you to help me track down the errant family members. They all need to be there. Before the midnight hour," Hayley announced, consulting her watch. That gave them a total of three whole hours to achieve the plan.

Davina nodded. "Right. Okay. Tracking ghosts. No big deal." She took a seat on the floor. "I need someone close to the ones you seek."

"Vince, you're up," Hayley said.

Vincent went over. Davina pulled out a switchblade. She slit Vincent's hand open and then poured his blood onto the floor. "Spirits. Make this my map. Find the one I seek." Eyes closed, Davina began to speak in advanced French and Hayley could not remember enough. Cami seemed to be following along as Davina chanted.

"There," Josh said, pointed as the dust on the floor made a pattern of the city of New Orleans and the blood traveled to one building in particular. "I know that house." He seemed a little excited. His boyfriend seemed less so.

"Josh, I know it's Halloween, but do we really have to do this?" the boy inquired.

Josh nodded. "We're helping my old friends, Aiden. You'll like them. Once you meet them."

"Right." Aiden seemed less than convinced.

~0~

"Knock, knock. Let us in!" Josh called out, knocking on the door of the house where low music played. It felt like an opposite of the party they'd left. And Hayley got goose bumps from the aura of the house. "We brought offerings!"

A young-ish looking man came to the door. He opened it and looked at the others. "I see that. What are you doing here, Joshua? I thought you weren't into our scene?"

"Oh, you know, changed my mind." Josh offered the man a flirty smile and the man smiled back.

Aiden looked even less impressed. A woman in a feather boa and a flapper dress came up to them and kissed Aiden on the cheek. "Find me later, pretty boy." She winked before disappearing, literally.

Great. More ghosts. "Are you sure this is it?" Hayley whispered.

"Yes," Vincent said. His eyes were on a tall blonde woman who laughed at some girl's joke. "Freya!"

Freya turned and her jaw dropped. A smile appeared on her face and she ran to them. Opening her arms, she threw herself into Vincent and laughed. "Oh, Vince! I thought we'd never see you again! Tell me, you're not dead, too, are you?"

"He's fine," Hayley said. "Hey, Freya."

"Hayley?" Freya looked at Hayley. "My. You're all grown up. Pretty." She touched Hayley's cheek. "I'm so sorry that we haven't answered your call. Elijah insists on keeping you away. He couldn't bear it if…"

"Freya!" Finn called out, coming down the stairs with a leggy red-head. "Freya, have you met Sage?" Finn beamed and turned to smile up at Sage. "Isn't she lovely?"

Sage leaned against Finn's shoulder. "Hi, there, sis."

"I'm not your sis," Freya snapped, rolling her eyes. "And I would like it if you had the spell removed so Finn would stop forgetting you."

Laughing, Sage came over to stand by Hayley. "She's such a witch-bitch. I don't know you. Who are you? You look good enough to eat."

"Hey! Hey, she's a friend! And we don't eat friends, do we?" Finn called out, moving between his girlfriend who seemed to forget yearly and the girl who used to babysit his un-dead siblings.

Frowning, Freya shook her head. "No. Finn, we don't. Why don't we talk, outside?" She ushered everyone toward the door. She paused as Sage moved to follow them. "Why don't you find a snack, if you're feeling peckish?"

Sage shook her head. "I'm good."

"Not really," Cami muttered, folding her arms over her chest. Will nodded, placing an around his wife's waist.

Hayley turned back to Freya. "We need you to come back to the compound. Now! Well, after we track down your parents."

Grimacing, Freya shook her head. "I'd rather not."

"Freya, this is important!" Hayley snapped, losing her temper for the first time that night, but not the last. "I'll explain once we're at the compound. But you need to trust me. You want to go home."

"What are you people planning?" Sage demanded, hands on her hips. "I can sense a witch." Her eyes moved to Davina. "And magic. Not hers," she wrinkled her nose at Freya who glowered back. "I want to know what you're doing."

"We're going to release the ghosts," Caroline blurted in a bored tone. "Probably not. Because that last plan almost ended with a dead human. Hello, clean up, Aisle Five!"

"Shut up, Caroline!" Cami snapped, giving her cousin a bitter look.

Caroline shrugged and pulled out a flask. She took a long sip until Marcel jerked it away from her. She snarled and then took off in a quick walk.

"Damn it!" Marcel grumbled, following the angry vamp.

Rolling her eyes at the teen drama, Hayley turned back to Freya and Finn. "Please, let me try this one more time!" She pressed her palms together.

Freya looked uncertain. Sage jumped in. "What will happen to them if they're released? Will they find peace? Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Her expression held so many warring emotions that Hayley worried the vamp might try to stop Hayley's plans.

"I don't know what will happen," Hayley admitted. "But we can't just leave them to their nightmare, can we?"

Nodding, Sage looked to the others. "I'll help. Freya, let's go get the Parents from Hell."

"They're not from hell," Freya snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"Rather hell adjacent," Finn replied with a shrug.

Freya sighed. "If only Sage would stop placing that stupid spell on him," she groaned. "Finn, where is your sword?"

Finn glanced around. "It's upstairs." He ran in and took another fifteen minutes of their precious time before he came back with the sword. "Time to find Mother and Father."

~0~

Esther and Mikael were walking down the streets of the French Quarter. Esther seemed bemused by a tiny bumblebee who flitted into the ghost's legs before the mother apologized and picked the child up. Mikael looked bored and restless.

"Mother? Father?" Freya called out.

"Freya, darling!" Esther came over to join the group. "Oh, Hayley! You left us! Elijah refused to allow us a new babysitter. And the children were beside themselves with your absence. Have you come to care for them, again?" She seemed hopeful. And remarkably sane after the last time Hayley encountered her.

"Are you feeling alright?" Finn asked.

"Yes? Why wouldn't I be?" Esther inquired, looking amused. Then her head turned. "Oh, Mikael. We'll miss the band! We must hurry!" She took hold of her husband's hand and moved toward the end of the street.

Oddly, everyone else seemed to be avoiding the place Esther wanted to go to. Hayley began to have a gut feeling. "You know, Mrs. Mikaelson. There's music on my iPod…"

But Esther did not seem to hear anything or anyone else. Her feet kept moving down the street. "I can hear the trumpet. The old sax. Oh, Mikael. We danced that night like we did before the children ended all of our carefree time. Trouble. Children. All they do is give you heartache. They ruin the body and break your soul with their behavior. Finn and Freya, always going to their party, and you know what will happen. Freya's becoming a tramp."

"Mother!" Freya cried out in shock.

"She can't hear you," Hayley said, watching Esther continuing to walk down the street. "Caroline, stop her!"

"How?" Caroline demanded, sneering. "She's a freakin' ghost!"

"Then… I don't know! Snap her out of her it!" Hayley felt annoyed.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline did something unexpected. She took Finn's sword! "Hey!" Finn shouted. "Give it back!"

"Make me!" Caroline shouted. "Last one back to the compound gets to die screaming!" She took off in a run.

"Give me my sword!" Finn began shouting.

Esther paused and turned. "Finn, stop with the blasted sword." She shook her head.

"Mrs. Mikaelson, if you could help me with this. Then you and Mikael can go to the music," Hayley offered.

Esther shook her head, again, but moved back and toward the compound. "This is such a disappointing night." She led the way back to the compound though.

Opening the gate with a key, Mikael waited for everyone else to go inside. "Usually I don't allow males inside on this night. However, you are friends of Hayley's…"

"Thanks," Will said, nodding and forcing a smile.

"Hayley!" Klaus appeared and then he saw Caroline. "Who are you?"

"Caroline," she told him, holding out the sword. "I brought you this. Thought you might need it."

"Thank you," Klaus took the sword. "Elijah, Hayley's here!"

Elijah appeared on one of the balconies. His eyes widened and he leapt off the balcony and came running toward her. Hayley felt her heart stop for a moment. Time stopped. All the feelings she'd buried came to the surface. "What are you doing here? I refused you entrance for a decade… Are you mad?"

"I got married. I have a baby on the way," Hayley admitted. "A little girl. But there's one thing I have to do before she'd born. I have to help you."

"You're risking her life!" Elijah cried, holding onto Hayley and shaking his head.

"I love you," Hayley replied. She pressed her lips to Elijah's. "Now, just trust me. One, last time."

Elijah nodded. "Right. Okay. What do we do?"

~0~

"They're here!" Rebekah said, holding a wand in her hand.

"Get ready!" Hayley cried. She held onto the candle in her hand. It had burned the longest and brightest the night she and Elijah had sex. She could feel their love burning when she lit it with her lighter.

Cami held up a copy of Freud's nonsense. Will aimed something that would take down any human. Vincent was armed with some kind of doll. Freya held a broom. "Yes. I know it's a cliché," Freya grumbled.

Klaus held up Finn's sword and Finn held up the sword that Hayley once gave him. Sage and Caroline came packing their own weapons, claws and teeth.

Henrik stood behind them, holding a rattle like he knew how to use it. Marcel had ahold of a Snickers bar because he'd decided that the god of bad teeth would get the poltergeists. Josh and Aiden were back-up, in case they needed to get the heck out of there quickly; the two would man the gate.

Each of them was armed with items that they imbued with the magical power. Weapons forged with belief.

"Let's party," Sage breathed as the darkness began to unfold.

"Are you feeling okay?" Freya asked Esther.

Esther nodded. "We didn't hear our music tonight, and I feel…better for it." She held a rolling pin, point at one of these things.

"Incoming!" Hayley shouted as one of the baddies tried to dive-bomb her. Mikael took a baseball bat that Kol handed him and smashed the thing across the courtyard.

"Take that!" Klaus shouted gleefully.

Soon there were polter-thingies all over them. Hayley burned as many as she could while Esther swung her pin like they were cookies trying to get away from the Christmas tray. "Get back, you fiends. You'll not have my children tonight!"

"Go, Mrs. M!" Will cheered as he shot a baddie coming for Cami. She smacked the thing for good measure.

Unfortunately, there just seemed to be more and more and more.

Davina and her coven arrived just as Hayley's candle began to dribble on her fingers, and Hayley had to pick it up and run into the center of the group, allowing the others to guard them.

"Time to go back to hell," one of Davina's coven members called out. She smirked and then turned to Davina. "Come on, D, let's give these things an invite back to a nice roasty seat."

Davina and her coven members linked hands and began to chant. "Return to whence you came from! Return. Return! Return! You are trespassing! Haunt this human domain no more! Return. Return! Re-turnnnnnnn!"

A howl ripped out from the largest and most annoying of the poltergeists. It shivered and seemed to draw in the others. The darkness swelled, seeming to fight with itself. A scream, that made Hayley's ears bleed, came out. She slapped her hands over her ears as the moon was cast into darkness by the cloud of pitch black.

And then the darkness disappeared. Hands coming down, Hayley placed her hands on Henrik's shoulders. "You okay?" she asked him.

Henrick nodded, burying his head in her shoulder.

"It is time," Davina intoned. She looked at the Mikaelsons. "Your time of suffering has ended. You may find the peace that has fled from your life. Go and be one with the everlasting. Do not haunt these halls. Your souls are free." The girls chanted, over and over and over again.

Hayley got to her feet, Henrik on her hip. She moved to place her palm to Elijah's. He had a smile on his face as Davina continued to chant. "Good-bye, Hayley."

"Good-bye, Elijah," Hayley choked on her words as he became more human than he'd ever been before. For a moment, his skin felt warm on her flesh and she had a crazy hope for a miracle.

"Call her Hope," Elijah said softly, kissing Hayley on the cheek.

And then he was gone.

There was no longer a little boy on Hayley's hip. Her knees dropped and she began to cry.

"They're gone," Sage announced. "Finn's free." She began to cry, too.

Even Caroline's snotty demeanor broke and she pressed her face into Marcel's shoulder, shaking.

Cami came to rest beside Hayley. "You'll be okay," she whispered.

"I know," Hayley nodded. She felt a smile beginning to come. "I have Hope."

**Eighty Years Later: **

Hayley Jane Marshall walked with a great effort into the compound. Spider webs hung from the gate which whistled on uneven hinges. No one ever bought the old compound. No one wanted to. Although it was no longer haunted, people just didn't want to be here. But Hayley did. She always came here on Halloween.

She had lived for over a hundred years. She'd buried her husband. And a son. She had three children. Two gave her eight grandbabies. Hope and her husband, Landon, and their six kids visited often. Her oldest grandbaby was a mother herself. Over all, Hayley had a good life.

Sitting down at the fountain, Hayley looked into the bottom. No water tonight. No shadow of who she used to be. She almost heard the hint of children's laughter. Smiling, she closed her eyes, and slunk to the ground, her body no longer willing to function.

~0~

"Hayley?" Elijah came forward and Hayley looked down at her hands. She felt like Rose in a Titanic moment coming on because she was the same age as she'd been when she met him. "Hi."

"Hi," Hayley let out a laugh and moved to throw herself into his arms.

"I've missed you!" Elijah said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "What is today?"

"Halloween," Hayley said with a smile.

"Of course it is," Elijah nodded. "Come. The children have missed you." He led her over to Klaus, Rebekah, Kol and Henrick.

"Hayley!" the children cried. "Is it Halloween?" Rebekah and Kol inquired.

"Yes, it is!" Hayley replied. "And from now on it's always Halloween!" Turning to Elijah, she smiled. "What do you want to be this year?" He didn't answer, he just kissed her, and she knew exactly who she wanted to be, forever.

**The End**

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Guest: How the Mikaelsons were trapped is kind of a mystery for another time. I hope you enjoyed the story. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


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